My Breath || S. B.

20. MISsTAKEn

Junia didn't care about the looks the people gave her in the common room last night. She was too surprised, too angry, too... everything. She can't believe she had done what she did to Marlene. What did she expect from a drunken Sirius? Obviously he was gonna need a mouth to kiss. But kissing a guy whom Junia knew her friend in most likely in love with is not at all like her.

Junia groaned, trying to forget it. It was a mistake. A mistake.

Yet still, after so many hours, she cannot put it off her mind. She felt like she had just betrayed Marlene. Junia slumped onto her desk, burying her face into the book she thought would be able to keep her mind away from last night. What a well-spent Christmas.

Anna came in, walking past her to the bathroom. And walked back when she saw Junia. "You okay, Jun?"

Junia answered with a small shake of her head.

"I know rumours are running around about you and Black, but you shouldn't let that get to you," she said. "Besides, you were the first girl to have ever rejected him."

"What?" Junia raised her head up. The rumours she knew about didn't sound anything close to that. This morning during breakfast, she overheard someone saying something about Sirius, who would literally take anyone, not even wanting her. Some girls that weren't at the party last night even laughed at how undesirable 'the girl' must have been. But again, that was not really the cause of her distress.

"Black clarified some things," Anna revealed. "He told some girls how the rumours were wrong and that you were the one who had rejected his kiss last night. You didn't hear?"

"I've been in this room since I got back from breakfast, so unless I have supernatural hearing, then maybe I would have heard," Junia replied, unsure of how to feel. To say that the rumour from earlier was not bothering her at all is not entirely true. She has an image to maintain and it certainly would be a shame if the reason that image vanished was because a boy had rejected her in a stupid seven-minutes in heaven round. So she felt grateful but it still does not make her forget their mistake.

"Is it true though? Did you reject—"

"He was drunk. And he is with Marlene," Junia quickly said, not wanting any further questions.

"He is?"

Junia nodded.

"Mckinnon?"

Junia nodded again.

"Since when?!"

"I'm pretty sure they had had something going on for at least the past year," Junia told her. "How could you not know? It was obvious."

"I– I thought it was just a casual thing. That's what I heard from Burkes," Anna said.

A casual thing? "How does your boyfriend have all sorts of information again?"

Anna shrugged, "He's a Slytherin. They gossip. A lot."

Junia stayed silent. A casual thing?

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

The Christmas feast that night was the only good thing about the Christmas Junia had that year. Even then she had an awful urge to come up to Sirius and ask him about his relationship with Marlene. If it really was true that it is all just a casual thing, then she might feel better. Even if it's just a little bit. But then again, that would mean that Sirius is simply leading Marlene on. Even if Marlene is aware of it, which Junia thinks she is. Though Sirius still should not keep her in a state of uncertainty.

Only one table was used for the dinner, since it was enough for those who were staying for the holiday. Junia and Sirius just so conveniently manage to catch each other's eyes despite sitting on different ends of the table.

Sirius raised his brows, as if to say 'what?".

Junia used her eyes to look towards the direction of the door, and hoped that he would get the memo. She got up from her seat and excused herself before walking out of the great hall. She waited for a minute or so before Sirius popped out.

"I will ask this only once. Is what you're having with Marlene just another casual thing?" she asked, trying her best not to sound too hopeful for a 'yes' as an answer.

"I thought you'd never ask," Sirius said. "But if you're so eager to know, yes it is completely casual. At least on my side it is."

Junia frowned, "So you know."

"Know what?" Sirius raised a brow.

"That she likes you," Junia said.

Sirius looked away, his face holding the same expression as it did during the party last night. Of course he did. It's not difficult to recognise when a girl likes you when you have girls pining over you your entire life.

"I was about to thank you for what you did today, but I don't think a guy like you deserves any kind of appreciation," Junia said spitefully. "And you better tell her soon." She thought about their regular meetings and figured she'd rather endure the pain from the contract than spend time with him. "I will not be meeting you this Saturday by the way, so let's both just suffer in pain until you tell her the truth. And until you stop playing with people's feelings," Junia told him, trying to keep calm before walking back into the great hall.

Sirius watched her, running his fingers through his hair. "Merlin, she drives me mad."

"Don't worry, son," Nearly-headless Nick popped out from the corner. "I know it's hard to accept rejection, but maybe she's just already taken."

"Taken?" Sirius turned to him. He knew he was just making up assumptions but it still made him feel rather odd. A feeling he'd never felt before actually. Why did the idea of Junia with another man bother him so much? "You must be mistaken about that," he said.

"No, she is."